Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-13
railroad Possibilities.

There is no doubt that the Baltimore
and OHIO railroad will soon become part
OF great railroad system, extending
over large part Of the South and West.
1t may he assumed as certain that the
negotiations in progress for its purchase
will be successful. When the exist
ence OF these negotiations was first
made public it was stated that the Balu-
more and Ohio was wanted to COM
plete system which would include
10000 miles of road. The statement
created a sensation, because q system
containing go many thousand miles is
something remarkable even In this age Of
great railroad systems and combinations.
OF course tie big systems can be made
to pay better than small ones, or else
shrewd men would not seek them. 1t is
probable that the owners OF the Ralti-
more and OHIO are anxious to sell their
control of it, because they see the time
is not distant when, on account OF COM
petition, it will not pay as well as 1t does
now. For long time it paid 10 per cent.
on its stock. Not lsng ago it paid scrip
instead OF cash dividend, and it now
only pays s per cent 1t is no doubt
great and rich property yet, but TO main
tain Its footing In competition with other
great roads it is necessary that it shall
reach New York. To do that will cost
vania Central Slocks its way, and thus
far has proved an insurmountable obsta-
Gle. The immense system of which IL
will form great part will have an outlet
at New York. The Pennsylvania Central
cannot prevent that.
Mr.. Garrett, ths President of the Balti-
more and Ohio, has been quite severely
criticised in Baltimore for permitting the
control of the road to pass from that city
to New York, but he cannot be expected
to hold on TO property which is depreciat-
ing on his hands, and which depreciation
he Is powerless to arrest, for the sake OF
Baltimore. Doubtless the late John Car
rett, If he were alive. would make
strong tight 10 retain the control Of the
property, but even he would have to
yield to the inevitable. Those into whose
hands the road will pass will be able,
doubtless, not only to MAINTAIN its value,
through the combinations they have ar
ranged but also to increase 1t. They will
be able to cope with the competition which
threatened il with disaster while it was
unsupported and unprotected.
Doubtless capitalists and railroad men
are BEGINNING to ask themselves where
this building up of railroad systems ia
going 10 STOP. Is it not possible that
Within a few years all the vast net work
of railroads OF the country will be in
cluded in very few systems? Gradually
the more powerful ones are absorbing the
smaller ones. Even now the public ear
is not familiar with more than dozen
great SYSTEMS. Thousands OF miles OF
road are built every year, but the greater
part of what is not built By these systems
is soon acquired by them.
When it is remembered that one-eighth
Of the wealth Of the nation is in railroads.
it will be understood how great the power
OF the men is who control them. The
magnitude of this power aud the fear that
it might be used for purposes DANGEROUS
TO tho republic we're perhaps not without
influence upon Congress when 1t passed
the interstate commerce law. The f0rma-
ton Of a 16,000-mile system to-day sug-
gests the possibility OF systems OF $4,000
or even $4,000 miles tomorrow. The men
at the mead Of such systems would WELD
extraordinary power.